The Potter Family
by Kat-O-Nine-Tails
Summary: Harry and Hermione have established a family of six. Seen through the eyes of John Potter Major deviations from cannon. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Eleven year old John Wendell Potter came from an extraordinary family. A family of over-achievers to put it bluntly. His siblings were all easily capable of juggling multiple tasks. All were quite successful in every thing they did, be it in Quidditch or grasping knowledge with ease. And each had their own special skill making them unique among the rest of the family.

His elder sister Lily Selene Potter was coming up to be a budding potions genius. His elder brother Jason Sirius Potter was the most popular Quidditch player and then there was his younger brother Jaime Nyx Potter( the name a combination of his paternal grandfather and maternal grandmother, his parents had squabbled a lot over equal rights to naming their last newborn.)

Jaime was an inventor. Or so his mother said and she was most probably right. He had been able to activate their mother's most complex defense system during a raid. The brat had been barely five then.

Really, John would have taken the names of either of his brothers any day. He was named after Remus John Lupin and his middle name came from his maternal grandfather who his mother had never been able to track down as of yet. It wasn't even the old man's real name! It was a pseudo name used when his maternal grandparents had gone into hiding because of the wizarding turmoil. It just wasn't fair.

The family had an exacting standard, but John was sure none of the others noticed. But they weren't normal were they? His father for all his talks about wishing to be normal was at a loss to deal with normality when it confronted him. He tracked down rogue wizards, which was no mean feat. He often said he had gotten used to it. John could only wonder what kind of life his father had had for him to be used to living perpetually on the brink of death.

He had told John there was nothing wrong being normal. But when John came back with low marks or would fail to mount a broomstick, the man would look confused or sorrowfully at him.

His mother "tinkered" away with ideas for new innovations. Both his parents were highly sort-after by the press, but they rarely indulged such requests. He stayed away from her. All he got was lectures for his bad marks, though said in a soft, sympathizing voice it made them more bearable.

His parents couldn't understand him. He blamed his siblings for that. They were used to seeing perfect marks and aerial feats, who could blame them if they looked nonplussed when he had one day hesitatingly announced he had come fourth in Gobstones? It wasn't exactly high on t_heir l_ist of achievements.

"Merlin Johnny, if I could throw a Galleon at you for every one of your daydreams, I would be knutless!" exclaimed Jason Potter seeing his brother on his bed with a faraway expression plastered on his face.

John was about to point out the irrationality of his statement, but then his little brother joined them just then, saying, "Does anyone know where Selene is? I have a feeling mother and father are going to give us something but are waiting for us all to be in one place when they do. And I'm quite impatient."

"Well Jaime, Selene must be in the Apothecary...with Teddy I think."

"That's far..." said John

"Yes no doubt about that Genius!" scoffed Jason before stalking out, pulling Jaime along with him, "You better come down for dinner. Dad's cooking."

* * *

><p>Selene was in the Apothecary, but not with Teddy.<p>

Their mother leveled a glare at her, "What is this I hear about you disturbing Severus Snape?"

"Eh? Snivellus?" chimed Jason, winking at his father

"How many times have I told you Jason not to insult the man?"

"Too many times to count." murmured Jaime, experimentally poking at the gravy on his plate.

"It's not like I'm telling it to his face, right dad?"

"He's right Janie." smirked their father, trying to spoon extra gravy onto his wife's plate who resisted his efforts.

"I'm on a diet." she announced sternly, more to herself than to him, "It's healthy greens from now on."

Their father had a dismayed look on his face, before annoyance set in, "Fine then, extra serving for everyone else."

John couldn't get much of the extra serving. How can one when one had three very dominant siblings? Jaime for all his calm and sweet demeanor was as competitive as his siblings when it came down to it.

"You're missing out Janie." their father informed viciously and his wife threw him a venomous glare and stole his plate as well, "You should get on a diet as well."

"Now you're not making sense." his father waved his spoon over an absent plate, "I am on the move half the day, while you're in one place tinkering away_"

"Tinkering away?" his mother asked sharply

"To use a layman's term darling."

"A regressive term!"

"Let it be, now give back my plate."

His parents also had a tendency to be childish. John though glumly looking at Selene's fat portion of gravy longingly.

Though if one thought about it they were certainly better off than the Weasleys. The raging war had taken a toil on their resources and the family was huge in number. There were the grandparents, their seven children and then the tripled grandchildren. It wasn't very feasible. Especially when prosecuted by the Ministry and scorned by the pureblood wizardkin.

Dinner was over and they were all in the living room waiting when their parents brought in the "trinkets". There were four, so maybe they didn't have to share. Then again John didn't remember needing to share anything. Anything material that is.

"You should decide among yourselves." his father said indicating the wrapped packages.

When their parents were gone the siblings tore upon them, only for it to come undone before they could touch."

"Jaime!" Selene groaned, "I was looking forward to opening them."

"Faster this way." said Jaime, placing the spare wand back inside his pocket.

"Let's see what we have." muttered Jaosn examining the trinkets.

The Potter invisibility cloak, the Marauder's map( Yes, finally!), a thick dark book and a locket..

John inwardly moaned. He was going to end up with the locket. Selene wasn't the type for them, and she would undoubtedly go for the map or the book.

"I'm taking the locket." announced Jaime, plucking the silver thing from the floor and walking off.

Selene twitched her nose, "Now the map would be useful, but so would the book. Of course one can learn everything the book might have to offer so..."

"How about we all just choose one, but let the others borrow temporarily? That way we all can use all of it." Jason suggested.

"They agreed, and Selene thus took the book, John the invisibility cloak and Jason the map.

John didn't know their lives were blessed, better than most in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Flooing About

Jaime was humming lowly to himself as they waited for their mother to stop abusing the floo area. Selene was scowling at her mother's fastidiousness while Jason looked about ready to shove his mother inside headfirst.

"Hermione..." their father's strained voice hissed softly in impatience, "_enough with the poking around_"

"Poking around?" questioned their mother whirling indignantly in her husband's direction, "Is that what this looks like to you?"

"Clearly," said their father blatantly avoiding the warning signs, "If I were to animate the floo, she would heap abuses at you just as you're doing to her."

"But they would be verbal right?" asked Jaime looking cautious while his mother went back to prodding at some charred bits inside the floo.

"Why would the floo be a "her"?" questioned Selene winking cheekily

His 34 year old father stuck his tongue out at his daughter before giving his youngest son a mischievous look, "Would you like to find out?"

One complicated movement of his wand and a second later his wife stumbled backwards shrieking, "Potter you prat!"

She coughed to let out some black smoke from her mouth and then leveled her best evil gaze at the culprit, "I swear to Merlin, if I don't hex your_"

"Careful honey, impressionable minds, impressionable minds..." her husband reminded sweetly

The floo grate boiled before throwing out more ash, which unfortunately landed up on John and Jason's clothes, much to the former's dismay. "Keep your pervy hands to yourself, fool of a witch! Save them for your bed-warmer or I shall land you in a ditch!"

Their mother's hands clenched around her own wand, "You made it talk like that to_"

Father hastened to interrupt, "I just animated it, it goes with the situation...seriously, would I make it call me a bed-warmer?"

"Harry!"

"I don't want to hear this." Jason announced

"What's wrong with that?" questioned Jaime innocently, "Selene always warms my bed before she goes."

Both parents stared curiously at their daughter while said child glared at her youngest brother.

* * *

><p>Arthur Weasley was the nearly bald aging patriarch of the old Weasley family. It was no surprise to John that the man had gone bald seeing as his family boasted quite a lot of mouths. There were his children, some who were in his parents' own year and the Weasleys grandchildren, nine of whom were already in Hogwarts and two more were going to join this year.<p>

The strain on the old man was obvious. He had had seven children. Four of them had given up their lives in the wizarding war fighting for the Light side. Only two of his youngest and his third eldest remained. The family income could not be enough, with so few earning members and so many mouths to feed.

"Evening Arthur" their father greeted, a pleasant smile fixed on his face even while his wife pinched him near his lower back to show her anxiety. Hermione Jane Potter had no misgivings towards Arthur Weasley, it was more his youngest surviving son that got her all bothered.

Ronald Weasley used to nurse a secret crush on their mother. While she had reciprocated then, it had waned by next year. That's all she would talk about the matter when asked why she was so anxious to escape from Weasley's presence.

"Good evening Hadrian." said Arthur politely, "Shopping for school supplies."

"Obviously" muttered Jason under his breath

"Most definitely that is" their father amended on Jason's reply while throwing him a reprimanding look, "I take it so are your lot."

"Yes, yes_" answered Arthur

John wondered if these two adults really didn't have much to talk about and were fumbling for questions.

"I hear that your muggle_" Arthur began but just then their father tilted his head to smile up at a plump looking witch making her way over to them.

"Ahh Molly, how wonderful to see you? How do you do?"

"Lovely dear, just fine_ though one could ask these school Governors what they think they are doing? Arthur dear have you seen the prices of the first-year's textbooks? A rip off!"

"Indeed?" their father questioned, "I suppose we should be worried then Janie." he laughed crinkling his nose at his wife. She gave him a bland look, and addressed the elderly woman, "My congratulations Molly, how many months along are you now?"

Confusion lay on every Potter's face except their dear mother's as the Weasley Matriarch shrugged her shoulders unconcernedly, "Must be a few months by now, but who can say. Not that I'm worried. Been through so many." she finished smiling up at their parents, one still with polite confusion written on his face.

"Mrs Weasley's with child, my darling." their mother informed her father who to his credit immediately offered up his congratulations.

"It'd be wise if you came by the Apothecary, I have some tonics that could ease the_" their mother started

"Oh, no, not really." Mrs Weasley brushed away the concerns, "Will be fine, do splendidly. All my kids...well they all didn't give me a kneazle's hair of trouble. I'll do fine, my dear. Thank you."

...x...x...x...x...x...

After they had left the Weasleys, they headed for Gringotts. John trailed behind his parents while his siblings took up the front.

"Stop looking so sore." their father playfully pulled his wife's hair

"I'm not being sore. It's just_" Their mother uncharacteristically wrangled her fingers, "Isn't she too old by now?"

"It's their choice." their father said gently, now actively playing with his mother's locks

""Still, and they are barely able to make ends meet. I don't get why another child?"

"It's their problem Janie, stop worrying your head over it. Don't you have bigger things to think of? Hmm?"

"And she needs absolutely no potions at all. Merlin Harry! How many potions did I consume for each birth? There were the nutritive potions, the anti-"

"Don't remind me." said their father pulling away from his wife, "You were a right pain, waking me up at odd hours for the weirdest potions I've ever had the pleasure of finding in apothecaries. How I felt like wringing your neck at those times.'

"Well I'm sure they could hardly compare to what I felt like doing to you when you made me wait too long for what I asked. Remember when you made me wait 8 and a half hours for strawberry mashed pixie yogurt?"

"You just absolutely had to have it. It could have been on the other side of the world for all you cared. How I cursed you then."

"Exacty, I admit I was a right pain. Which is why it makes it so depressing when a woman of her age can just brush off all these support items and do it the old-fashioned way."

"You envy her?" the tone was incredulous

"If I do they last for mere seconds. All I have to do is look at my beautiful family_"

"Handsome husband_"

"Beautiful husband_" teased their mother to their father's annoyance.

Selene interrupted their talk just then. A solem expression on her face, "Jason's got into a fist fight with Malfoy again."

"Brilliant." mother muttered, now hurrying her unwilling husband along.

They met with the awkward sight of angry goblins, two bleeding teenagers and a scowling Severus Snape.

"Potters," the man's lip curled cruelly, "Why is it that you lot cannot go anywhere without causing discord?"

"I think it's more on the lines of who we meet up with." said Jason scowling at his Potions Professor.


	3. Chapter 3

An: Read and review!

Chapter 3 Lurking Far

Snape was holding a furious Scorpius Malfoy who had a black eye and a ripped shoulder, blood soiling his robes while his elder brother nursed a torn lip.

John deduced two things from the current scenario, one that Snape was a man who could convey a lot with very little facial movements. Second, it was completely lost on his elder brother.

"Professor Snape, how unexpected." their mother greeted while tugging her willful son away from the man's glowering gaze.

"As unexpected as a thestral's hoof." their father's whisper carried

"That should mean you were expecting us, Lord Potter." said a distant, sly voice from their right

The reigning head of the Malfoys, Lucius Malfoy had just finished dealing with some troublesome legal matters and was none too pleased at the sight of a bleeding grandson.

"I'm hardly a Lord Mr Malfoy." their father said lazily

The thin blonde man gave their father a fixed smile and a low laugh left his lips, "Just in name." he said softly, eyes piercing "Though you might want to pick a paper and not just to find out the latest broomstick model, you might find things have changed."

He came close enough to stand inches away from their father's nose.

"As they often do.' said their father unperturbed

"And only morons fail to grasp the implications." Snape's cutting voice got John's attention again as the dark man looked at Lucius and tilted his head towards the exit.

"Hardly the place for such topics." their mother intervened

"Hardly a topic for such company. True." Lucius commented lightly

As the three departed with Lucius giving their father one last patronizing look, their mother rounded on Jason.

"I don't care if he egged you to it Jason! This was not the place to throw a punch...don't give me that look, that was once! Your father should never have told you that. Remember I didn't do it in public or brawl like the way you did."

After the trip to the family vault, their parents gave them the freedom to go and explore for an hour after which they would meet up near the Leaky Cauldron.

Together they had headed off, but soon John found himself alone once Jaime found a bookstore, Selene the Magical Menagerie and Jason, the Quidditch shop. He roamed about aimlessly until he reached the end of Diagon alley. While never specifically forbidden, it was generally understood that one only walked through Knockturn allley when they were able spell casters.

But the lure of the unknown pulled John towards the dim alley anyway.

The first few stores were normal, Apothecaries with gory displays; roadside set-ups with body parts of strange species in jars being examined by dark-robed wizards and wtches; a stationary store that sold mostly banned items by Hogwarts, it had an advertisement featuring a blood quill that could make the victim bleed anywhere you wanted.

But the further he walked, predictably the dimmer the alley became, more diabolical the wares displayed and the wizards and witches gave off the air of a sinister quality.

"You lost chubby cheeks?" a cloaked figure of a hunchback laid a hand on his shoulders. John shuddered when he noticed the hand had only three fingers, the other two were mere stubs covered in pus and a white substance that seemed to ooze out of them.

"Not really." he managed to say, drawing away only for the three fingers on his shoulder to tighten reflexively

"You are not sure boy." the voice rasped and the hunchback drew up his other hand.

John struggled out of his grasp, unable to stop a scream from escaping his throat, "Get away from me!"

The hunchback only cackled harshly and clapped his hands together. Seconds later John heard feet shuffle behind him and whirled around. There were three more of them, all with hooded cloaks covering them. They shuffled closer, edging towards him.

John tried to kick out at the hunchbacked man but he had a surprisingly strong grip as he pulled John down by his leg.

"What do you want?" he screamed, and continued to scream without caring for an answer, hoping someone would hear him. What would Jason do, or Selene? Jaime would have tricks up his sleeve to escape such men. What could John do? Scream? Scream himself hoarse?

His throat caught suddenly and his screams became silent all of a sudden. One of the cloaked men hoisted him up, his wand digging into his neck.

"No more of your screams child," said the voice underneath the hood sounding deceptively sweet. The hood turned to face the hunchback, "Should we not let him know what we plan to do with him?"

"I haven't decided myself." the hunchback said roughly, "But he can know this for sure, we are going to make money out of you boy, a lot of it from one side or the other."

"Reckon he's rich?"

"Does it matter? Either his family pays the ransom or their enemy does. Every family has enemies these days, a hostage situation works well for the enemies to pay money. Families usually come to heel when their members are involved. Either way we're gaining."


End file.
